How did you get into making music, and how did arts education (or lack thereof) affect you and your music?

I fell in love with music naively and as an innocent third world child. Writing came earlier to me, but I was terrified of sharing any parts of what I would transcribe in solitary moments. I started subconsciously understanding music by listening to a plethora of cross generational music. Unearthing my grandpa’s vinyl collection during my teenage years was a significant step in me getting more consciously excited about the music past the level of just an appreciation of words. I remember myself and a friend of mine, Blitz (who is in New York now), attempting production with little or no resources and a great vision. It was a delightful learning experience and an utter product failure. I loved every bit off it.

Later on in college I was in a bit off a hiatus from creating/learning music. I re-linked with one of my rhyme partners in high school; he was in a band in college. I also finally met with O-D and other Hip-Hop producers who were fully immersed in Hip-Hop production and did dope work. This is when I actually started to create songs worth listening to. It all sort of came together in 2005. I had experimented, collaborated, and come to a certain maturity about writing and making music from the bottom up with collaborators I was in sync with.

I have no formal arts education; it’s nothing to gloat over. On the contrary, I have a great appreciation for those that pursued and mastered their craft whether in formal or informal school. It however means I had (and still have) to do a lot of learning by trying and failing – and also listening to copious amounts of music to learn what works emotionally and what doesn’t. Basically, I have an avid fan’s perspective in making music. I can hum you bass lines from soul songs, and mimic Tony Allen drum patterns but I can’t talk a lick about what major or minor notes Bob Nesta sang in. Maybe I don’t have the burden or luxury of using any sort of rhythmic or melodic formula an arts education could have provided. I’m always learning and feeling different energies of creativity. It’s all a work in progress.

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Also: (Interview with M.anifest)